WASHINGTON (AP) -- The parents of the only soldier the Army lists as captured in Iraq are being flown to the Pentagon for a Friday meeting with senior Defense Department officials to discuss the search for their son.

Generally quiet and supportive of the Army's handling of her son's case, Carolyn Maupin has lashed out recently, complaining to some Ohio news organizations that she heard about the weekend search from reporters and was having trouble getting updates from the Pentagon.

Army Reserve Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, has been missing since April 9, 2004, when his fuel truck convoy was ambushed by insurgents west of Baghdad after leaving camp. A week later, Arab television network Al-Jazeera released a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

That June, Al-Jazeera released another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the tape was dark and grainy and showed only the back of the victim's head, and did not show the actual shooting.

The Army ruled it inconclusive, saying it could not determine if the man was Maupin or even if it was an American soldier.

Parents Carolyn and Keith Maupin will meet with Lt. Gen. James L. Campbell, director of the Army staff, and officials from the Casualty Assistance Office and the Joint Personnel Recovery Office. They will also have a video conference call with senior officers in Iraq, including officials from U.S. Central Command.

"We're bringing the family to the Pentagon to provide them with a progress report on the ongoing search for their son," said Army spokesman Col. Joseph G. Curtin. He said Maupin's status is unchanged.

The Army is also paying for the family to stay in a hotel overnight. The Army has provided briefings by phone to the family in the past, but initiated the invitation to the Pentagon so the update could be done in person and officials could answer any of the family's questions, said Curtin.

Thirty-two members of a Fort Drum, New York-based Army unit spent seven hours Saturday searching for Maupin's body in the Abu Ghraib section west of Baghdad. They were acting on a tip

Just like the search for Scott Speicher, the military won't give up until they have a live person to return home, or remains for the family. One thing about the insurgents is that some groups don't take prisoners, period; others keep prisonersfor a while and then kill them (Zarquari's....animals especially-I refuse to call any of his creatures people because they are so barbaric); while others do keep prisoners (usually for ransom). Here's hoping the search ends soon with positive results-one way or another. Either bring him home for a reunion with his family, or find his remains so the family can rest at ease knowing where he is. No one gets left behind, not this time.

I tried posting this yesterday but maybe it was at the beginning of the hack as it never appeared.

Anyway, I did a Google search on Keith Maupin yesterday to see if there was any news and the top entry was from a website dated in January 2005. It almost seems there is a media blackout on him, and whenever anyone brings up his name on SOCNET an admin will post "OPSEC!!"...and thats the end of that thread.

I've been trying to think of different scenarios for this. The terrorist scum would love to show a video of him still in captivity, or his death. If he was executed maybe he put up a huge fight like the Italian so showing the video didn't suit their purpose - galvanizing a country instead of making them cry and run. Or perhaps the video was intercepted in transit or during a raid...but then I'm sure the family would know of course.

Iraqi's are providing lots of tips to Coalition forces so perhaps he isn't in Iraq anymore?

Was thinking of Maupin the other day and wondering how it is that he has been gone without a trace for all these years. Sadly, he is probably in some unmarked grave under the sand somewhere and no one will ever find him. What a waste.